The Surly Mountain Biking Thread

[KuЯdt 248]

2 hours ago, dingleberryswitzer said:

Am I th only one still rolling with clipless pedals?  They were a revelation when I first got them and a pair of shoes.  I don't think I can ride serious without them anymore.

been riding clipless for 25 years.  coincidentally, i decided to put a pair of flats on my singlespeed a couple weeks ago to try them out.   i bought them a few years ago on a whim i guess and never used them.  anyway, they are not for me.  swapped back to clipless with a quickness.

Edited March 16, 2020 by KuЯdt

[KuЯdt 248]

2 hours ago, dingleberryswitzer said:

All the pedals I've used pretty much popped off easily and I've never had them stick on a crash.  Maybe if the tension is set to Max, but I always set mine to the minimum, then used crank brothers which are pretty much plug and play. To each his own, but if you've never tried them, I recommend it.  

+1 on crank brothers.   i've been on egg beaters for quite a while now.

[wd40 1976]

+1 clipped.  so much easier to work the bike though the rock gardens and twisty stuff.  only one guy in our crew runs flats, and that's mainly budgetary, as he's recently getting back into it.  I wish I had the skill to ride flats and be as connected to the bike as I am clipped.  I guess it's just a choice of which bones you're ok with breaking when things go south.  I blew up my tibia putting a foot down when I stalled out on a skinny.  if I'd stayed clipped, it would have been an arm or collar bone.

I run Shimanos now.  I've run egg beaters and Times in the past.   (XTR) Shimanos are my favorite.  I had some cheap Shimanos years ago when I first went clipless, and they kept having metal fatigue issues.  broke one preriding at Lajitas.  that sucked.  got lucky that someone had an extra (worn out) piece to fix it.  better than nothing.

speaking of finessing the bike: we had a fun, if moist, ride this morning.   same hill as the 031013 video on page one, to give you an idea of the terrain.  always good to change it up from that wide-open Enduro stuff.  different kind of sketchy.

[KuЯdt 248]

12 hours ago, wd40 said:

 I guess it's just a choice of which bones you're ok with breaking when things go south.

Not so cool story bro time.
I've only ever broken a bone once while mountain biking, and it was clipless pedal related.  If you're old enough, you might remember Onza pedals.  Fucking shitty ass pedals that used swappable elastomers to adjust tension.  Well, before a BCGB ride I  changed to the black elastomers which were the most difficult to disengage from.
While messing around in the parking lot pre-ride, I was riding a wheelie and then lost balance and started to fall over to my right.  I could not disengage my right foot from the pedal and stupidly stuck my knee out to break the fall.  After I sat up I looked down and my right foot was turned 90 degrees outward.  Broke my ankle and fibula.  I now have a screw in the ankle and a steel plate on the fibula.

This is not to scare anyone off from using clipless pedals as I've never had an issue since.  Those Onza pedals though...turrible.  And the reason I prefer crank bros is the ease of engagement/disengagement plus the float which is easier on the knees.

 

[KuЯdt 248]

I got an x-ray of that ankle a couple years ago because it was bothering me. Sure looks like doc left a bunch of other shit in there.

[TwiceHorn 30851]

Fookin ell.

[wd40 1976]

yuck.  wheelie practice is definitely a good application for flats.

I can't find the redacted xray pics of my tibia, but I posted the on the old site.  this one probably freaks me out more.  shortly after getting home from the hospital (you can just see the tape over the sutures).  

Spoiler

I lived on the futon in the office for a couple months.  that laundry basket was my dresser.  

just amazes me how quickly the body goes into healing mode.  

 

 

[KuЯdt 248]

wow, that looks...not fun.  did you have some riding buddies with you at the time to help out?  Luckily i did, and they were way more freaked out than I was.  I guess due to adrenaline, I didn't feel any pain until the ER doc set the ankle back.  I still don't know why he did that and if it was a good idea or caused more damage.

[wd40 1976]

same thing for me, as far as the pain.   I had my buddies grab a couple cedar sticks nearby and I splinted it with those and a couple spare tubes and jerseys.  one guy knew where there was an abandoned wooden bridge off the trail, so they found that and carried me out on it like stretcher.  that was pretty scary, as tippy as it was.  fortunately, we were pretty low on the hill, and only about 100 yds, as the crow flies, from the trailhead.  my wife came and took me to the ER, and my friends ferried my bike and truck home, after their ride.  good thing we were kind of a big group, that day.  

the worst part was when I had a reaction to the pain meds (dilaudid) in the middle of the night.  itchy all over, dry-heaving.  not sure why they switched away from what was working.  but they couldn't give me anything else for a while, for some reason, so I had to ride it out.  that's when it really hurt.

oh, the on-call ortho surgeon didn't want to have anything to do with it, except call whoever I wanted to do it.  very glad to have had a choice.

Edited March 16, 2020 by wd40

[TwiceHorn 30851]

7 hours ago, wd40 said:

same thing for me, as far as the pain.   I had my buddies grab a couple cedar sticks nearby and I splinted it with those and a couple spare tubes and jerseys.  one guy knew where there was an abandoned wooden bridge off the trail, so they found that and carried me out on it like stretcher.  that was pretty scary, as tippy as it was.  fortunately, we were pretty low on the hill, and only about 100 yds, as the crow flies, from the trailhead.  my wife came and took me to the ER, and my friends ferried my bike and truck home, after their ride.  good thing we were kind of a big group, that day.  

the worst part was when I had a reaction to the pain meds (dilaudid) in the middle of the night.  itchy all over, dry-heaving.  not sure why they switched away from what was working.  but they couldn't give me anything else for a while, for some reason, so I had to ride it out.  that's when it really hurt.

oh, the on-call ortho surgeon didn't want to have anything to do with it, except call whoever I wanted to do it.  very glad to have had a choice.

What was working?  DIlaudid is one of the more common opioids that doesn't come with an NSAID.  Many do.  When I broke my collarbone, doc said stick with acetaminophen to avoid bleeding and speed bone knitting.  The opioids that come with acetaminophen tend to be pretty weak.

[Dbeasy 14796]

Tried to go on a rock trail to get some practice and was amazed at how quickly I lost control of the bike on a very shallow downhill rock trail.

As I applied the rear brakes, the back tire would immediately jump and slip to the right, almost bucking me off the bike several times before I made it to the bottom of the hill. Really shocked at how such a simple looking trail was so dangerous.

[Knoxtnhorn 5908]

I've ridden clipless for 15 years on my road bike.  I'm not sure I'd feel comfortable doing it on a MB.  CSB alert.

The first time I ever MB'd was in Oak Ridge, TN.  Very technical course.  Two of my friends were basically experts - clipless, very experienced, etc... My other friend and I, not so much.  So at one point, we're both cracking up because we just know one of us is going to wipe out.  We hit a spot where the trail is about 3 feet wide.  Straight up to the right; mostly straight down about 70 feet on the left.  One of the "experts" stops ahead to wait for us.  He leans to far to the left, is unable to clip fast enough, and heads over the side.  You know that scene in Romancing the Stone where Douglas and Turner tumble down the rain soaked mountain?  It was that.  He just kept tumbling, but not so fast that he was in any true danger.  He falls into the lake, head surfaces,  and looks up just in time for his bike to come crashing down on him.  He was ok - just some cuts and bruises.  The aforementioned other friend and I laughed for a good hour straight.

[Ths71 472]

Am I th only one still rolling with clipless pedals?  They were a revelation when I first got them and a pair of shoes.  I don't think I can ride serious without them anymore.

Been riding Time ATAC since the introduced them. Mid 90s I think. Still work good for me. I have platforms on my gravel bike.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[TwiceHorn 30851]

On 3/17/2020 at 6:38 AM, Dbeasy said:

Tried to go on a rock trail to get some practice and was amazed at how quickly I lost control of the bike on a very shallow downhill rock trail.

As I applied the rear brakes, the back tire would immediately jump and slip to the right, almost bucking me off the bike several times before I made it to the bottom of the hill. Really shocked at how such a simple looking trail was so dangerous.

Were you keeping your weight back? Helps with rear traction, among other things.

Probably best to do some level or near-level rock gardens and some relatively smooth descents before combining them.  One thing you learn is how to pick a line through the rocks that isn't going to buck you off or out of control.

Also, braking, even in the rear, requires some subtlety and acquired skill.

Finally, your bike may not have come with the best tires for centex terrain.

Edited March 18, 2020 by TwiceHorn

[Braff Zacklin 13299]

I would add, depending on steepness and conditions, your rear brake isn't going to do much on a decent. Most of your stopping power comes from up front. The rear wheel will just lock up and skid without slowing you down much, which can help swing the back end around, if that sort of thing is "allowed" where you ride.

But if you want to slow down or stop quickly, use the front brake. With practice and technique, you'll learn to slam on the front without going endo. Drop those heels and keep your weight  back, etc.

Apologies if you're already aware of this. Just a general diagnosis based on the symptoms you described. 

 

[Dbeasy 14796]

Very helpful tips. Ya, I was doing none of that.

[Your Mom 4763]

I rode clipless for 20+ years on the road and on mountain bikes.  Loved it for the longest time but I went back to flats on the MTB a couple years ago.  I like them better for the technical stuff.  I have a higher level of commitment to getting over an obstacle with the flats.  Clipped in, I often found myself unclipping at the first sign of trouble to avoid flopping over on some rocks.  On the flats I stay committed that half second longer that often makes the difference between getting over it or not.  On smooth XC stuff I'd still rather be clipped in.  I swap them out every now and then.  Not to mention it's nice being able to walk normal off the bike.  

I just got back from 2 days riding at Lajitas with my 15 year old son.  Will post vids in a couple days.  10 easy miles on the airport loops on day 1 and then Dog, Cholla, Crystal, Camino Viejo, Waterhole, and the Dome Loop for 20 miles and 1100' of climbing on Day 2.  Saw one other person on the trails the entire time.  Great trip.

[TwiceHorn 30851]

Be careful using your front brake though.  Learn to apply evenly and relatively slowly.  That really applies to front and rear.  Use the rear brake for control, if it's locked it's not doing anything helpful.

As mentioned upthread, keeping your weight back, ass hanging off or behind, preferably, the saddle, is an absolute key to riding with your nose pointed down.  The steeper and rougher, the more important it is.  To get yourself used to it, when in a parking lot or on flat terrain, practice putting your ass behind your saddle and moving back over it.  It's kind of a nice stretch, too.

Also, get in the habit when your pedals are level (dont have one pedal down unless you're turning), of dropping your heels.  That really helps weld your feet to the pedals, through rough stuff and over bumps.

Note:  some people, myself included, like to coast on the road with a pedal at 6 oclock and my leg extended to stretch out.  Don't do that except on the smoothest, clearest trails.  Instead, keep your pedals level at 3 and 9.  This keeps them out of the way of stuff on the ground and is a better position to keep both knees bent and holding you off your saddle, or ready to.  In really bumpy stuff, you don't want to be pedaling much for this reason, and it helps to have your heels down (toes pointed up, hamstrings stretched).

Edited March 19, 2020 by TwiceHorn

[Al_4_ISU 12376]

I've found that if I start arresting speed with my rear brake, slowly apply front, and then release the rear that I get a good mix of control without feeling like I'm going to endo.  I used to ride the rear brake quite a bit but pretty much found myself constantly fighting the fishtail.

Plus, as I've just gotten more comfortable with higher speed on descents, I just find myself spending less time on the brake as I go on.

[Braff Zacklin 13299]

Slogged through my first 20-miler of the year today. Cloudy and cool (~45 degrees) but lower trails were dry, so it was on.

To put our early spring into perspective, my first true trail ride of 2019 didn't happen until March 27. That was definitely a late spring.

This year, however, my first dirt was March 7--not crazy early but super nice compared to a year ago. If only the legs and lungs could keep up with the enthusiasm...

If you'll forgive the candor: I don't really understand why so many people are acting so fucking crazy right now, but spending two-and-a-half hours on singletrack helps it seem not so important.

Hope y'all and your families are doing well and finding outlets for recreation during these ... interesting times ... in which we're living.

[TwiceHorn 30851]

14 hours ago, Al_4_ISU said:

I've found that if I start arresting speed with my rear brake, slowly apply front, and then release the rear that I get a good mix of control without feeling like I'm going to endo.  I used to ride the rear brake quite a bit but pretty much found myself constantly fighting the fishtail.

Plus, as I've just gotten more comfortable with higher speed on descents, I just find myself spending less time on the brake as I go on.

I think this pretty accurately describes the learning curve.

[TwiceHorn 30851]

29 minutes ago, Braff Zacklin said:

Slogged through my first 20-miler of the year today. Cloudy and cool (~45 degrees) but lower trails were dry, so it was on.

To put our early spring into perspective, my first true trail ride of 2019 didn't happen until March 27. That was definitely a late spring.

This year, however, my first dirt was March 7--not crazy early but super nice compared to a year ago. If only the legs and lungs could keep up with the enthusiasm...

If you'll forgive the candor: I don't really understand why so many people are acting so fucking crazy right now, but spending two-and-a-half hours on singletrack helps it seem not so important.

Hope y'all and your families are doing well and finding outlets for recreation during these ... interesting times ... in which we're living.

I don't usually "have time" for a 20 miler or 2.5 hours on the bike.  Plus, it would be excruciatingly boring on most of the trails around here, because it would be about three full laps (all loops) of some of the trails, and like 4 or 5 laps on many.  One of these days, though.  Maybe during this quarantine period.

I work from home a lot, usually half days or so, sometimes full when I have something to grind  on.  This enforced, full-time work from home suuuuucks.  Most especially when I can't ride.

Edited March 20, 2020 by TwiceHorn

[Braff Zacklin 13299]

OK.

[wd40 1976]

On 3/18/2020 at 10:32 PM, Your Mom said:

I rode clipless for 20+ years on the road and on mountain bikes.  Loved it for the longest time but I went back to flats on the MTB a couple years ago.  I like them better for the technical stuff.  I have a higher level of commitment to getting over an obstacle with the flats.  Clipped in, I often found myself unclipping at the first sign of trouble to avoid flopping over on some rocks.  On the flats I stay committed that half second longer that often makes the difference between getting over it or not.  On smooth XC stuff I'd still rather be clipped in.  I swap them out every now and then.  Not to mention it's nice being able to walk normal off the bike.  

I just got back from 2 days riding at Lajitas with my 15 year old son.  Will post vids in a couple days.  10 easy miles on the airport loops on day 1 and then Dog, Cholla, Crystal, Camino Viejo, Waterhole, and the Dome Loop for 20 miles and 1100' of climbing on Day 2.  Saw one other person on the trails the entire time.  Great trip.

[Your Mom 4763]

Got back in last night.  Made a side trip to Flat Rock Ranch in Comfort.  Good riding there but not worth the drive from Austin, IMO.   We camped up in BBRSP.  The park and the trails were pretty isolated but Terlingua and the resort at Lajitas both looked pretty active.  Plenty of people with the same idea of getting away out there.   I was kicking around a trip to Moab in April.  That won’t happen now, glad I made this happen. 
 

Lajitas Contabando Trail System  with the Dome Loop

 

 

[wd40 1976]

badass, Mom!   your son's a shredder!  I got all geeked on that huck where I could see him point his toes down and press back to grip the pedals.  that's a split-second move I just can't execute reliably.  which is why I run clipless (and why I'm totally the opposite w/r to your approach to the subject---but whatever works for you).

so many questions:  what music is that?  those creekbed ledges look familiar...airport loop stuff, west of Lajitas, or is that in BBRSP?  I know your son's an advanced runner, but no camelbak?  how much water were you carrying?

finally, when'd you get that bike, and what is it?  I don't remember you mentioning it, and I don't recognize it.

great job.

Edited March 20, 2020 by wd40

[Your Mom 4763]

Man it was a blast! Once the world calms down I still want to make a trip out to Fruita and Moab. You’ll have to come. A big Surly group would be fun!

The bike is a 2014 Salsa Horsethief. I bought it used it a couple years ago. Didn’t realize it been that long since you and I last rode.  29, SRAM XX1, 1x10, Fox Float 32 130mm, Fox CTD in the back.  It’s been great. 

B doesn’t ride a whole lot so I only own the one Camelbak... I carried two 3L bladders in it for the ride and we shared it. Plus a bottle on his cage.

On day one we did the Lajitas airport loops 2 and 3. Loop 2 is terrible. Flat, boring, and sandy. Loop 3 is a lot of fun. Swoopy and bumpy. We should have skipped 2 and done 3 twice. Those trails are not in the video. They were our day one warm-up ride.  About 10 miles combined.  

The trails in the video were 2 1/2 hour 20 mile ride on the Contrabando trail system. It starts at the parking lot down the road and across from the airport. There is a Jeep road that runs north from 170 and the singletrack trails all branch off it and loop back to it.  The singletracks off that road that we rode are a lollipop course starting with Dog Cholla, Crystal Trail, Camino Viejo, Waterhole. Those trails lead to a couple of loops. We did the Dome Loop then the same trails back to the starting point.  You can make it a longer ride with the Fresno Divide added to the Dome Loop. Or you can continue north and make it a 50+ mile point to point ride. Lots of options. 

[Braff Zacklin 13299]

Awesome video, @Your Mom. Great editing work, and those trails look super fun, especially the creek beds and gully washers.

What were the temps on your ride?

[Your Mom 4763]

80s. Mid 50s at night. 

[KuЯdt 248]

Great video.  Lajitas is a place I've wanted to ride but have never had my bike when out that way.  I need to make it happen.

I was a bit surprised about the Flat Rock comment.  To me, it is one of the best places to ride in Texas.  In fact I was supposed to camp and ride out there this weekend, but rain and other circumstances squashed that.

[Your Mom 4763]

31 minutes ago, KuЯdt said:

Great video.  Lajitas is a place I've wanted to ride but have never had my bike when out that way.  I need to make it happen.

I was a bit surprised about the Flat Rock comment.  To me, it is one of the best places to ride in Texas.  In fact I was supposed to camp and ride out there this weekend, but rain and other circumstances squashed that.

It was great riding out there, I just think there’s other fun stuff closer to Austin for me. Honestly, a couple of the jump lines they have on the upper loop are just way beyond my skill level.  They’d be blast for the right rider. Some of those rock jumps are gonna launch you 4 feet in the air with a steep rocky landing. Looks great, but it’s not for me.  We found one other jump line on the upper loop that we did a couple times and it was amazing. Smaller shaped dirt jumps.  And we only did a little bit of the lower loop before calling it a day. There’s definitely plenty of trails out there I haven’t seen.   But RPR is about half the drive distance for me, so it’s still my go-to for a quick out of town day trip. 

[KuЯdt 248]

yeah I understand that.  Since I live in far SW Austin I can get to Flat Rock in about 1.5 hours, and RPR is a little over an hour.  Not a big difference for me.

[Al_4_ISU 12376]

Ride #3 of 2020 in the books

[Braff Zacklin 13299]

Appreciate all the updates, pics, and vids, guys. It's great to see participation in this thread growing each year and the variety in trails and terrain.

@Al_4_ISU, have you ever shared pics of that trail in fall? It must be breathtaking in its autumn splendor. My apologies for being senile if you already have.

@KuЯdt, @wd40, and @Your Mom have piqued my interest in a video setup. What'are your recs (e.g., make and model, helmet or chest mount, software, etc.)?

I see Hero5s listed on Amazon in the neighborhood of $150. I could rationalize that, but how much better are Hero8s by comparison? And how much more would I need to spend on mounting hardware, software, spare batteries, and on and on?

The Chinese knockoffs were tempting, but I recall seeing a comment from @wd40 about them having terrible picture quality and the legit** reviews on Amazon seem to support this.

Forgive all the callouts. Current conditions here are cold and wet, so I'm living vicariously through y'all today.

 

** It seems there's an epidemic of paid or flat-out fraudulent reviews that companies are orchestrating in order to inflate the star ratings of many products. The flood of falseness drowns out the honest reviews to the extent that it's difficult to find them unless you select the "critical reviews" option.

 

[Al_4_ISU 12376]

I never ride in the fall because of farming, but it’s fucking spectacular

[KuЯdt 248]

1 hour ago, Braff Zacklin said:

Appreciate all the updates, pics, and vids, guys. It's great to see participation in this thread growing each year and the variety in trails and terrain.

@Al_4_ISU, have you ever shared pics of that trail in fall? It must be breathtaking in its autumn splendor. My apologies for being senile if you already have.

@KuЯdt, @wd40, and @Your Mom have piqued my interest in a video setup. What'are your recs (e.g., make and model, helmet or chest mount, software, etc.)?

I see Hero5s listed on Amazon in the neighborhood of $150. I could rationalize that, but how much better are Hero8s by comparison? And how much more would I need to spend on mounting hardware, software, spare batteries, and on and on?

The Chinese knockoffs were tempting, but I recall seeing a comment from @wd40 about them having terrible picture quality and the legit** reviews on Amazon seem to support this.

Forgive all the callouts. Current conditions here are cold and wet, so I'm living vicariously through y'all today.

 

** It seems there's an epidemic of paid or flat-out fraudulent reviews that companies are orchestrating in order to inflate the star ratings of many products. The flood of falseness drowns out the honest reviews to the extent that it's difficult to find them unless you select the "critical reviews" option.

 

I have a GoPro Hero 7 (well it's my wife's but I've mostly commandeered it as my own, lol).  I had a Hero 3 Black previously which was good.  But the 7 (and I assume 8 and up) has the Hypersmooth technology which basically negates the need for a gimbal in order to get smooth footage.  At least for amateurs like me who aren't that serious about it.  I've been pretty impressed with it so far.  I use the GoPro Chest Mount.

This is a good topic as I'm also interested in what people are using for video editing software.  I used to (and still do mostly) use GoPro Studio but they don't make it anymore.  I've tried a few other editors but haven't found anything I like that much.  I'm a real noob at it and running Windows.  When I had a Mac before I did like iMovie.

Last weekend I took the GoPro out and got some footage of the Austin southie trails with the intention of just putting together a little highlight video of some of my favorite parts of it.  Being stuck at home these days I should have some time to put that together, although it would be rather boring.  I'd like to get better at the video editing part but, for me at least, it is quite time consuming.

 

[wd40 1976]

Braff:

I'm currently running a gopro6.  most of the clips I've posted here were done on a gopro5.  the first videos I published here with a 6 was the Bentonville stuff.  

the jump from 5 to 6 is significant.  in terms of pixels, I reckon not much.  physically, the removal of the enclosure for making the camera itself waterproof is hit-or-miss.  opening the various panels to access the SD card, battery, and charging port is a lot more difficult on the 6, especially on th trail.  on the plus side, not having the constant rattling of the plastic outer enclosure means you get nice stereo sound quality.  for example,  on the BCGB video, towards the end, you can hear my heartbeat, as well as the wind coming from different directions when I turn to cross the creek.

the game changer is the internal stabilization.  user interface is different (I won't say better), but with the 6, they finally got some MEMS tech to auto-flip the camera.  however the 6 is more buggy than the 5.  that auto-flip could be more reliable; but any halfway-decent editing software should allow you to flip the video in case it is recorded upside down.  also, the one-touch feature (hit only the shutter to power on and start recording, vs pressing the power button first) has a tendancy to lock up the camera, requiring a hard reboot (popping it open and pulling the battery).   

all in all, I'm very happy with the 6.  the stab is just amazing.  not having to spend extra the money on a gimbal for about the same price as the whole camera, and not having that extra chunk of hardware hanging off my chest makes it totally worth it.  with the 5, I had to tie a knot in the chesty to get the elastic tight enough to not bounce the video into unwatchability.

WARNING:  if you get a 6 and want extra batteries, get the gopro brand.  the Fuel spare battery I got at Best Buy (had the coupons, so fuckit) fits, but just barely.  closing the door is VERY difficult.

I think @KuЯdt has a 7 or 8.  I can't speak to whether the bugs in the 6 that I mentioned above have been addressed in either of those models.  I got the 6 because I read the res and stab were reportedly not noticeably better in the 7.  none of the additional features present in the 7 were anything I cared about.

Edited March 21, 2020 by wd40

[Braff Zacklin 13299]

Thanks, guys. Will spread reps when available.

[TwiceHorn 30851]

Because all of Dallas County is a swamp, and I couldn't bring myself to ride a paved trail (should have), I drove down to a paved trail that I have ridden that has some unpaved bandits off it.  I had to walk farther than I wanted on the paved trail to get to one of the bandits, but it put me on railroad tracks, including a trestle, that let me play Stand By Me.  Was kind of fun.  Saw some hawks (kestrels I think) patrolling for critters, but didn't see any dives.

[Your Mom 4763]

I have a Hero 8. Got it with some Best Buy gift cards from some little work perks we get.  I don’t remember the differences between the 7 and 8 but I had enough cards for the 8 so I got it.  Before this I had a 3. This is light years better. 

The stabilization is a game changer.  The other thing I’ve really enjoyed is how easy it is to get the videos onto my phone or iPad. A :30 video will upload to the GoPro app on my iPad in just a few seconds and then a few more to save it from the app to my device photos.  I love the speed of it. 

It has voice technology too that’s kind of handy. “GoPro start recording.”  The only problem is that you get to hear yourself tell it to stop recording at the end of every clip. Easily cut out later though. 

I edit with iMovie. The only thing I really do is trim the videos down to the the good parts and slice them all into one with a basic dissolve between them and add some music.  I don’t mess with zoom or speed or do any other real editing. I find iMovie easier to use on an iPad than on my MacBook.  Never tried any other editors, not really too knowledge beyond the basic splicing. 

If anyone wants to mess around with it sometime on a ride in Austin I’d be happy to let you. 
 

[Braff Zacklin 13299]

@Your Mom, @KuЯdt, and @wd40: Thanks again for the GoPro insights.

Seems like the smartest (i.e., most economical) thing for me to do would be to buy a used/refurbished Hero5, but all your comments about the improved image stabilization of the later models make me wonder if I should think bigger (I've seen "renewed" Hero6 Blacks for less than $180).

[Braff Zacklin 13299]

Haven't been posting pics cuz only our lower, exposed trails are dry. Trust me, dead and yellow sagebrush steppe isn't very scenic. But, hey, I'm an asshole, so why not longcat this thread and scar your eyes with some pedestrian pedaling pics?

This is my friend's dog, Samson. It's also as high as we dared climb, and as you can see from the mud condom on my front tire, even that was probably a couple of hairpins too far.

This is my friend's dog eating snow. It wasn't even good, clean snow. Bad doggie.

This is a terribly composed shot looking back over the valley toward town. Two steps to the right and the dormant maple in the middle would've nicely anchored the foreground to the left instead of obstructing the view.

This is the way back, facing Kinport Peak and a series of hairpins before straightening out in the opposite direction. This is also my friend and Samson's master looking back toward town. He ruptured a disc last year and was temporarily (<5 minutes) paralyzed, but he seems to be making a complete recovery. He rides a full-carbon, custom-built Ibis Mojo that costs more than my car, but I'm most jealous of his POC helmet as it seems quite appropriate (we live in Pocatello, Idaho).

BONUS:

Spoiler

Took time out toward the end of the ride to snap a couple of pics and one video of some young locals sessioning  jumps. Frankly, I was disappointed by the backlighting, my poor timing, the fact I neglected to utilize the continuous drive function (assuming my phone has it), and that they "only" got about three feet of air.

The guy in the first shot is an insane speed demon (up or down) and one of the area's fastest riders. The second guy I just met but you can see he's initiating a nifty li'l whip.

Speaking of whips, I actually managed one a couple of jumps below this spot. Alas, there was no one with camera to document it, so like a bear shitting in the woods, did it really happen?

Anyway, it was another great fucking day. I don't want to go back to work tomorrow, but bad weather's in the forecast, so I might as well.

Hope y'all are healthy and doing well. Thanks again for everything you share.

[KuЯdt 248]

12 hours ago, Braff Zacklin said:

@Your Mom, @KuЯdt, and @wd40: Thanks again for the GoPro insights.

Seems like the smartest (i.e., most economical) thing for me to do would be to buy a used/refurbished Hero5, but all your comments about the improved image stabilization of the later models make me wonder if I should think bigger (I've seen "renewed" Hero6 Blacks for less than $180).

My recommendation is to spend a little extra and get one with the stabilization, it is absolutely worth it.

[Ths71 472]

On 3/20/2020 at 2:36 PM, Your Mom said:

Man it was a blast! Once the world calms down I still want to make a trip out to Fruita and Moab. You’ll have to come. A big Surly group would be fun!
 

Everybody should ride Slickrock once. Amazing what you can climb with almost limitless traction. Poison Spider Mesa is epic but can brutal unless you are good. Porcupine Rim has some of the scariest sections I've ever ridden on. Glad I did those but no desire to do them again. 401/403 in Crested Butte and Monarch Crest in Salida are probably my favorites.

[KuЯdt 248]

I rode Monarch Crest 7 or 8 years ago.  Epic.  I did it solo, but would definitely recommend doing that ride  with others.

[TwiceHorn 30851]

No traily no ridey.  I did, however, add some sealant to my tires and wash the bike and car.  Probably ride pavement tomorrow.  It's fucking 84.

[Braff Zacklin 13299]

You guys in the middle of some sort of monsoon down there?

[TwiceHorn 30851]

Rained every day for a week, fairly heavy, very steady.  Starts back up Friday, but maybe only for a day.

[Braff Zacklin 13299]

Ugh. That's the worst. My sympathies.

We've had lots of rain (relatively speaking), but with the lack of humidity, things dry out quickly. When it rains an inch here, it's usually an all-time record for that day.

Fingers crossed for you, man. Hope you're back on dirt sooner than later.

[Knoxtnhorn 5908]

1 hour ago, TwiceHorn said:

No traily no ridey.  I did, however, add some sealant to my tires and wash the bike and car.  Probably ride pavement tomorrow.  It's fucking 84.

I was wondering if the trails were closed due to the virus or the rain. 

I've been riding my road bike from Rowlett to Rockwall and back.  Less traffic = safer I suppose.  Do you have any road route suggestions?  My go-to right now is Rowlett to Rosehill, over I-30, on on to the area around Sunnyvale towards Mesquite.  Actually quite scenic in spots.